Driver in 150-mile terror drive as accelerator JAMS at 125mph on French dual carriageway
Frank Lecerf, 36, was on way to hypermarket when car developed a faultRenault accelerated to top speed of 125mph on 60mph dual carriagewayHe called police who sent out safety convoyHe flew through three toll booths and in and out of traffic til petrol run out

By
Peter Allen

PUBLISHED:

15:43 GMT, 13 February 2013

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UPDATED:

10:15 GMT, 14 February 2013

A driver who was trapped in a car travelling at 125mph with a jammed accelerator and no brakes today said: ‘It was as if my life was flashing before me’.

Frank Lecerf, 36, was on his way to do his shopping at a hypermarket when his Renault Laguna developed a fault close to his home in Pont-de-Metz, near Amiens, in northern France.

The vehicle, which was specially adapted for disabled drivers, started to accelerate as Mr Lecerf drove along a dual carriageway with a speed limit of 60mph.

Terror ride: Frank Lecerf, 36, was on his way to the supermarket when the accelerator of his Renault Laguna jammed and he couldn't slow down

Desperation: As the car reached its top speed Mr Lecerf called the police, who put him through to a Renault engineer who tried to guide him to a stop

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOUR ACCELERATOR GETS STUCK

Step on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist.

Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.

If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.

If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine.

If the vehicle is equipped with a key-ignition, turn it to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.

Without any pressure on the accelerator
at all, the Laguna started to increase in speed, and Mr Lecerf could do
nothing about it.

Soon the car had reached its top speed of 125mph and Mr Lecerf became to suffer health problems during Saturday’s night ordeal.

‘I just wanted it to stop,’ he said, explaining how he called the police, who put him through to a Renault engineer who tried to guide him to a stop.

As he swerved in and out of traffic, and through three toll booths, Mr Lecerf was joined by high-speed police cars which created a ‘safety’ convoy.

The trail of cars sped across northern Europe for some 150 miles, eventually crossing the border from France into Belgium.

Miraculously, they avoided a serious accident before Mr Lecerf’s car ran out of petrol and plunged into a ditch in Alveringem, Belgium.

As he swerved in and out of traffic, and
through three toll booths, Mr Lecerf was joined by police
cars which created a ‘safety’ convoy. He eventually ran out of petrol after 150 miles and ended up in a ditch in Belgium

Monsieur Lecerf set off for the shops in Abbeville and ended up across the border, 150-miles later in a ditch in Belgium when the car's petrol finally ran out

A Renault technician had sought to advise police on how to solve the problem as they gave chase, to no avail.

Mr Lecerf said it was not his first speed jamming incident but that Renault had looked at the car and said they had fixed the problem.

His lawyer said he would file a legal complaint over 'endangerment of a person's life'.